Curtain length: 84, 96 or 108 inches?
Last reviewed October 21, 2026
Ready-made curtains come in a few set lengths, often 84, 96 and 108 inches, and some sellers use others (IKEA's guide, for example, lists 98 inch curtains). Which one fits depends on three measurements you take yourself, not on the window alone.
The short answer
Length you need = drop minus header offset.
- Reference point: one fixed point you measure from. The top of the rod is the easiest.
- Drop: the distance from that reference straight down to where you want the curtain to end.
- Header offset: where the top edge of the fabric sits compared with the reference. If the fabric top is above the reference, the offset is negative and you need a longer curtain; if it hangs below, you need a shorter one.
Step by step
- Choose the endpoint. Where the curtains should end is a style choice: just clearing the floor, resting on it, at the windowsill, or below it. If you want the hem to clear the floor, measure to a point slightly above it.
- Measure the drop from the top of the installed rod (or where it will go) down to that endpoint. Measure at more than one place if the floor is uneven.
- Measure the header offset on the actual product. Hang one panel, or use the product's own measurements. Grommet and rod-pocket tops usually sit above the top of the rod; curtains on clip rings or tabs hang below it. The amount differs between products and ring sizes, so do not assume a standard number.
- Subtract: drop minus offset (a negative offset adds length). Compare the result with the lengths on sale.
Worked example: same window, two kinds of curtain
The rod top is 86 in above the floor, and the hems should clear the floor by 0.5 in, so the drop is 85.5 in. The header offsets below are example values.
Grommet panel: the fabric top sits 1 in above the top of the rod
Offset −1 in, so the length needed is 85.5 − (−1) = 86.5 in.
- 84 in: 2.5 in too short; it stops above your endpoint.
- 96 in: 9.5 in longer than needed; that extra goes past your endpoint (on the floor, if you measured to the floor).
- 98 in: 11.5 in longer than needed; that extra goes past your endpoint (on the floor, if you measured to the floor).
- 108 in: 21.5 in longer than needed; that extra goes past your endpoint (on the floor, if you measured to the floor).
Panel on clip rings: the fabric top hangs 2 in below the top of the rod
Offset 2 in, so the length needed is 85.5 − (2) = 83.5 in.
- 84 in: 0.5 in longer than needed; that extra goes past your endpoint (on the floor, if you measured to the floor).
- 96 in: 12.5 in longer than needed; that extra goes past your endpoint (on the floor, if you measured to the floor).
- 98 in: 14.5 in longer than needed; that extra goes past your endpoint (on the floor, if you measured to the floor).
- 108 in: 24.5 in longer than needed; that extra goes past your endpoint (on the floor, if you measured to the floor).
The same window points to different lengths: the grommet panel needs 86.5 in, while the panel on clip rings needs 83.5 in. If no length matches, the usual choices are a longer length that you hem, or moving the rod up or down, if your window and wall allow it.
Check your own lengths
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Related guides
Sources and limits
- IKEA US, Window treatments buying guide (PDF), page 2 "Good to know" (E03, checked 2026-10-21). Used for: Measuring height from the top of the window frame to where the curtains should end, with space above the frame for the rod.
The worked examples are calculations with invented listings, not product data. A product's own listing and instructions always take priority over this guide. Spotted a mistake? See how to report it.